Featurette Friday: Bravery & Heroism Is At The Center Of ‘THE FINEST HOURS’

Courtney Howard // Film Critic

Bravery, honor and heroism are the elements at the heart of THE FINEST HOURS. The action-adventure starring Chris Pine, Eric Bana and Casey Affleck tells the tale of a perilous Coast Guard rescue mission set in the early 50’s. Ugh. I’m already clutching my chair’s arm wrests watching the below trailer.

Now that you’ve seen the massive epic scale of this production, see how they created it in the new featurette below.

Here’s the official synopsis:

A heroic action-thriller, “The Finest Hours” is the remarkable true story of the most daring rescue mission in the history of the Coast Guard. Presented in Digital 3D™, Real D 3D and IMAX® 3D, the film will transport audiences to the heart of the action, creating a fully-immersive cinematic experience on an epic scale. On February 18, 1952, a massive nor’easter struck New England, pummeling towns along the Eastern seaboard and wreaking havoc on the ships caught in its deadly path, including the SS Pendleton, a T-2 oil tanker bound for Boston, which was literally ripped in half, trapping more than 30 sailors inside its rapidly-sinking stern. As the senior officer on board, first assistant engineer Ray Sybert (Casey Affleck) soon realizes it is up to him to take charge of the frightened crew and inspire the men to set aside their differences and work together to ride out one of the worst storms to ever hit the East Coast. Meanwhile, as word of the disaster reaches the U.S. Coast Guard station in Chatham, Massachusetts, Warrant Officer Daniel Cluff (Eric Bana) orders a daring operation to rescue the stranded men. Despite overwhelming odds, four men, led by Coast Guard Captain Bernie Webber (Chris Pine), set out in a wooden lifeboat with an ill-equipped engine and little, if any, means of navigation, facing frigid temperatures, 60-foot high waves and hurricane-force winds.

I don’t know about you, but I find survivalist films tough to watch. They always entertain, but the gripping intensity can be too much to bear. It’s like a “one and done” kind of viewing experience. But as long as you see this film just once, that’s all that counts. They’ll be the finest hours you’ll spend watching a movie in 2016.

THE FINEST HOURS opens on January 29, 2016.